Not Applicable.
This invention relates to protecting surfaces, specifically floors and countertops exposed to damaging liquids. In the case of floors, it also addresses prevention of slips and falls.
Floors and countertops are subject to accidental liquid spills, and in the case of floors, potentially causing slip and fall hazards. Also, the liquid from the spills often damages the surface causing costly repairs. To preserve a dry condition, these floors and countertops require constant maintenance.
Normally, scheduled maintenance is used to monitor and clean up accidental spills. These spills occur frequently and often go unnoticed for long periods of time. Currently, excessive maintenance schedules attempt to solve the problem. However, damage to the surface still occurs between maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,075 (SANITARY COMMODE MAT), issued to Ann J. Nelson on Aug. 25, 1981, provided a two piece unit for protecting floors from urine. This device has a solid base and a hingedly attached cover formed as grille work. This cover is treated with silicone compounds to repel fluids. A replaceable pad is contained in the mat cover. The pad has an impervious plastic film base, layers of absorbent material overlaying the base, and a top previous film of non-woven material. In use, the urine falling on the grille work passes through, on and through the permeable top film of the pad, and absorbed therein. The absorbent pad may be impregnated with disinfectant and deodorizing chemicals. Maintenance is performed by opening the hinged cover, removing the pad for disposal, rinsing the base and hinged cover grille work, and installing a fresh pad.
This product has a single purposexe2x80x94keeping urine off restroom floors. No other uses are claimed or presented as additional embodiments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,580, issued to Luann T. Rochett, employed a surface mat of continuous filament, non-woven nylon to protect floors during inclement weather. The mat contained an absorbent inner layer comprised of a mixture of polymeric micro-fibers and wood pulp, and a liquid impervious film backing layer. This invention has no application under urinals. Additionally, the entire mat must be disposed during maintenance. This patent was discontinued eight years after issuance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,275, issued to Louis M. Vargo, is a disposable floor mat for bathrooms, hospital operating rooms, etc. used for absorbing liquid spills. The mat is designed to support a person, or persons, standing on it while it is being used. The stated uses include absorbing water, urine and other liquids found in bathrooms, etc. It is constructed of a sheet of liquid absorbent matting with raised portions of v-shaped or rounded cone tops coated with a repellent to direct and divert the liquid into the mat. A sanitizing agent must be impregnated into this matting to avoid cross-contamination. The liquid is retained in this absorbent matting. Ridges are built into the bottom of the mat to prevent contact with the contaminating liquid. Maintenance is accomplished by disposing the entire mat. This invention does not separate the liquid spills from the surface with a wicking or absorbing agent. Contaminated liquid (such as urine or blood) will remain on the tops of the v-shaped or rounded cones surfaces, causing cross-contamination and a slipping hazard. Excess liquid will flow in the valleys of the invention and on to the floor surface during maintenance. The height of this invention creates a tripping hazard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,774, issued to Henry A. Maxim, Jr., is all absorbent floor mat for use in wet and oily environments. This mat has a base unit with self-gripping fastener, and an absorbent top unit (upper surface). It is designed to reduce incidents of pedestrians slipping or sliding on wet or oily surfaces. This removable absorbent unit is constructed of fiber material such as indoor-outdoor carpeting. An additional preferred embodiment provides for drainage between the absorbent unit and the base unit allowing liquid or oil to drain into the base unit, rather than lying on top. No provision is made for use under urinals or around commodes. Liquid spills or drips remain on the surface exposed to pedestrian cross-contamination and slipping hazards. Maintenance is accomplished by removing the absorbent unit and hand-washing in cold water. After washing, the unit is dried by drip-drying or wringing. Dry cleaning is also an option. This puts the contaminated material in direct contact with the hands of maintenance personnel. Chemicals, oil, and similar spills cannot be disposed by washing down into a sanitary drain. The absorbent core material does not retain the spill effectively, nor does it remove it from the surface by wicking or absorbing means, it remains on the surface. Maintenance is required after every spill. This patent expired four years after issue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,669, issued to Robert C. Roga, is a floor protection system consisting of three separate pieces combined to form a single unit. The top layer is of nonwoven fiber, with a water impervious film, laminated to the underside. An absorbent paper layer, interposed between these two materials, is a second embodiment. This invention is not designed for urinals. The entire mat must be disposed and replaced. No method of cleaning or replacing the absorbent portion is indicated. The stated purpose of the top layer is to remove and retain soils. The stated purpose of the middle layer (second embodiment) is to absorb both water and oil based liquids, preventing them from subsequent contact with the top surface during use. This system fails to provide a maintenance method other than complete disposal, greatly increasing cost of controlling accidental spills. Use involves standing and/or walking in polluted fluids producing cross-contamination. This patent expired eight years after issue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,030, issued to Charles R. Valley, does not address floors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,754, issued to Lawrence S. Tomek, is an oil-absorbent floor mat designed for placement beneath a motor vehicle or machine to catch oil, grease, and other drippings. It is not intended for bathrooms or other uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,468, issued to Alfred R. Taylor, is a surgical mat with disposable cover designed for use in a hospital operating room. This patent expired four years after issue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,474, issued to Paul J. Sagel, is an absorbent, disposable floor mat for entrance-ways.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,189, issued to David H. Barlett, is a disposable mat operating rooms or chemistry labs and entrance-ways.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,089, issued to Timothy E. Alston, is a fluid absorbing system for recovering waste fluids from defined areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,570, issued to Terry Gordon, is a floor mat dispensing apparatus. However, no disposable floor mat is claimed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,661, issued to John L. Evenson, is a drip pan for vehicles, designed to catch drippings from parked automobiles or trucks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,945, issued to Bruce B. Lind, is an absorbent mat for oil and other liquid drippings beneath a motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,040, issued to Peter J. Cordani, is a fluid absorption mat designed for placement beneath fluid leaking machinery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,956, issued to Linda K. B. Smith, is an oil absorbent mat with spill channeling means designed to surround the base of leaky machinery to inhibit the flow of oil-based liquids.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,332, issued to Edward T. Saylor, Jr. is a slip resistant floor mat intended for foot traffic across wet floor surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,658, issued to Ronald G. Mohr, is a mat designed to collect fluids and other debris falling from a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,147, issued to David D. Clapper, is a mat for garage floors and the like, designed to capture oil drippings from beneath a motor vehicle.
Patent application invention pending by Matthew G. Jenkins, employs a base mat to contain spills. It includes an insert to direct liquid to an absorbent pad located at the back of the mat. This system requires a flat surface to operate effectively. Most surfaces are not flat, but slope to a drain. The design of this product does not take this into consideration and the liquid often does not reach the absorbent pad. Additionally, liquids vary in viscosity and surface tension requiring more than gravity for proper flow to the absorbent pad.
In accordance with the present invention, it has multiple uses, including restroomns, residential, and office applications, and commercial entrances. The used absorbent core containing liquid (i.e. urine, etc.) is not seen or touched during maintenance. This core is mated to the underside of a cartridge-top and both are tossed in the trash with no special treatment needed. The invention does not depend on hinges to remain closed and operational. The base unit of the invention is fastened to the surface to deter accidental movement. Occasional base unit maintenance involves simple unfastening and removal from the surface and cleaning with bleach or other disinfectant and refastening to the surface.
Accordingly, several Objects and Advantages of the present invention are:
(a) The cartridge-top with its mated absorbent core is easily disposed
(b) The soiled absorbent core is not seen or touched during maintenance
(c) The used cartridge-top requires no cleaning or rinsing
(d) The waffle grid design of the cartridge-top needs no environmental polluting silicone treatment to aid liquid flow to the absorbent core
(e) The front section of the cartridge-top is beveled reducing trip and fall hazards from shoes catching on the top
(f) The base unit requires only occasional maintenance when cartridge-top is changed on schedule
(g) Cross-contamination is reduce, due to disposal of cartridge-top instead of cleaning it